Welcome to our blog, where we share our passion and expertise for coffee with you. Today, we want to share you how we strive to make that perfect cup of coffee at Cloud9 Coffee, considering various coffee varietals, making blends, and other things that make the difference.
Coffee Varietals
Coffee varietals are different types of coffee plants that produce different flavors and characteristics in the cup. As you probably know already, there are two main varieties of coffee: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica is more delicate, aromatic, and acidic than Robusta, which is more robust and strong.
However, within each variety, there are many sub-varieties or cultivars that have distinct features depending on their origin, altitude, climate, soil, and processing method. For example, some of the most popular Arabica cultivars are Bourbon, Typica, Geisha, and Catuai.
Trip down a sub-variety is a journey unto itself. Take Bourbon, for example. Bourbon is named after the island of Reunion (formerly known as Bourbon) in the Indian Ocean, where it was first cultivated in the 18th century. Bourbon plants generally carry fewer coffee cherries per plant than other varieties, which makes them less common and more expensive.
The taste of Bourbon coffee beans can vary depending on the region where they are grown, the altitude, the soil and the processing method. However, some general characteristics of Bourbon coffee beans are:
- Medium body and a balanced mouthfeel stemming from low to medium acidity
- They have a sweet and complex flavor profile, with notes of chocolate, caramel, nuts and fruit.
- They have a pleasant aroma and a clean aftertaste.
Bourbon coffee beans are considered among the best in the world for specialty coffees .
At Cloud9 Coffee, we source our beans from reputable farmers and roasters who care about quality and sustainability. We choose different varietals based on their flavor profile, body, acidity, sweetness, aroma, etc. We also roast them carefully to bring out their best potential.
Making Blends
Making blends is an art and a science that involves combining different varietals and roasts to create a balanced and harmonious cup of coffee. Blending can enhance or complement certain attributes of each bean or create new ones.
We keep our blending approach pretty simple: we either blend different roasts, or varietals For example, we mix a light or medium roast with a darker roast to get a smooth yet rich flavor. Another is to mix different varietals based on their origin or region, for example, mix beans from Africa with beans from Latin America to get a fruity and floral flavor with some nuttiness and chocolate notes.
We experiment with different combinations of beans, roasts, and ratios, taste them regularly and adjust them according to feedback from our customers and staff.
Other Things That Make The Difference
Besides choosing quality beans and making delicious blends, there are other things that we do in striving to make tasteful coffee. Some of these things are:
- The freshness of our beans: We store them properly in airtight containers away from light, heat, and moisture. We use them within two weeks of roasting to preserve their flavor and aroma. We also grind them right before brewing to avoid oxidation and staleness. Finally, we adjust the grind size according to the type of coffee we making, but I think I will stop here. Yes, common sense in large part, but important. And logistically difficult for larger shops.
- The water temperature and ratio: 16g of coffee yields 60ml of double espresso, so water plays a huge role in coffee-making. We use filtered water, regularly check water quality, taste, and our filtering system because we think of water as yet another ingredient to our coffee recipe. We heat it to around 195°F - 205°F (90°C - 96°C) for optimal extraction. We measure it carefully according to the amount of coffee we use to get a balanced strength and flavor.
- Pull method and equipment: The latest espresso machines (and grinders!) are just wonders. Using just a few years old machines involved praying to coffee-gods some days, the latest generation machines enable you to focus on creativity and experimentation rather than getting familiar with which knobs to turn and what joints to tighten. We feel this is a fascinating area unto itself, and planning to write a blog dedicated to it.
We put a lot of thought and care into how we make tasteful coffee at Cloud9 Coffee. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.